Broad sweep electric cleaner



BROAD SWEEP ELECTRIC CLEANER Filed Dec. 27, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 DB. FEPL 06L 5, I

D. B. REPLOGLE I 2,146,763

Feb. 14, .1939. D. B. REPLOGLE 2,146,763

BROAD SWEEP ELECTRIC CLEANER Filed Dec. 27, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Gum/wan;

Patented Feb. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- Daniel Benso'n Replogle, Berkeley, Calif., assignor to The Ohio CitizensTrust Company of Toledo,

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio, as trustee Application December 27, 1935, Serial No. 58,384 8 Claims. (Cl. 15-14) The invention relates to cleaning apparatus and more particularly to portable electric apparatus which may be selectively employed for cleaning the walls or floors of a room or the like.

One of the features of my invention is the provision of a flexible tube connected with a source of suction and which may be used for wall cleaning purposes with any desired type of suction nozzle, or may be connected to a floor tool so as to produce suction therein for floor cleaning purposes.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of extensions for the floor tool which are adapted to rapidly sweep dance floors and the like, and which may be selectively connected to or disconnected from the source of air pressure according as the floor tool is lifted or depressed, and which when disconnected from the source of pressure may remain connected to the tool's suction outlet.

Other features of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawings in -which one embodiment of the invention is set forth by way of illustration.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the cleaner, portions being broken away to. show the interior of the barrel shaped casing, container or caddy which houses the'power plant and the dust collecting and air filteringmeans;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view on a large scale showing the floor tool and the lower portion of the power plant casing;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the floor tool casting, the end rollers being removed;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same; e h

Fig. 5, is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the floor tool equipped with a lateral extension member:

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one o'ffthe end rollers which supports the floor tool;

Fig. 7 is a view on line 1-1 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a view similar toFig. 5 but showing the floor tool equipped withtwo extension mem- 45 here; 1 Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale showing a' portion of the endof one of the floor tool extensions partly broken away to disclose the interior thereof, the parts being in the position which they normally occupy;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9 but showing the position of the parts .when downward pressure is applied to the floor tool;

55 Fig. -11 is a section on line ll-ll-of 9 closed. I

showing the roller whichsupports the end of the extension member:

Fig. 12 is a horizontal section on line l2l2 of Fig. 9;

' Fig. 13 is an ..exploded sectional view showin 5 one of the end extensions and a portion of the floor tool and illustrating the means by which they are attached, certain portions being shown in elevation; i

Fig. 14 is a top plan view of the same; and

Fig. 15 is an end view.

It will be understood that the drawings are intended as illustrative only of the invention and not as limiting the same to the details herein dis- 15 As shown, reference numeral III denotes a barrel shaped casing, caddy or container which houses at its lower end a power plant or suction producing means ll including one or more motors driving one or more fans preferably of the 20 centrifugal type. Electric current is supplied to the power plant through conductor cord l2, and I3 denotes an extension switch.

Above the power plant or suction producing means II is housed a suitable dust collecting and air filtering device herein shown as including a porous paper bag l4, but it will be understood that the present invention is not limited to any particular type of power plant. or any particular form of dust collecting apparatus. The top of the casing I0 is preferably closed by a transparent cap l5 which may be secured to the dust collector bag so as to withdraw the same from its housing. A handle portion I6 which may be of hard fiber or the like is shown connected to the cap and provides means for moving the apparatus about from place to place. Suitably connected to the hollow handle 16 is a flexible hose "p at the other end of which is connected a hard fiber member l8'which is'detachably connected 40 to the floor tool A at i8. If desired, the connection between the handle portion l6 and the flexible tube may be detachable and likewisethe connection between the tube I1 and the member l8, or the flexible tube may be directly connected to the floor 1 tool without the intermediate stifl connector I8. If desired, a permanent rotatable joint 25 may be interposed between the flexible pipe I! and the tube 18, a suitable-joint being disclosed in mylatent No. 1,836,336. Also, connections such as are described in my application Serial No. 586,192 may be employed where fluid tight joints between the various extension members are required. g According to the shown embodiment-of my 66 invention, the floor tool forms part of a single casting which'includes a cap 20 for the lower end of the barrel II and is provided with two laterally 5 extending fan exhaust outlets 2|, 2|, either of which may be capped if desired and the other connected by a hose or otherwise to any location where air under pressure is required. Each outlet 2! is large enough to take the entire output oi. the fans, so that when either is capped, there is no interference with the free flow of air through the other outlet. The suction nozzle of the floor tool may be of thegeneral type disclosed in my Patent No. 1,994,868, dated March 19, 1935, and is provided with yielding end rollers 22 in accordance with the disclosure of said patent.

The body oi the cleaner may be supported by or the like, the flexible tube with the rigid extension member i8 may be separated from the floor tool at the joint l9 and the hose with its extension member may be directed to any'suitable location. Owing to the swivelled pipe joint 25, the member I8 may be rotated at an angle about the hose, thus facilitating the cleaning operation. Any suitable nozzle or extension members may be secured at the end of the member 18. Also, if desired, the hose l'l'may be removed from the handle i6 and other connectors applied thereto, suitable extension members being shown in my Patent No. 1,533,271, dated April 15, 1925. Any supplemental device such as a wax heater, floor agitating means or' the like, actuated by electric means may be connected through the extension'member l3.

Wherever as shown, the floor tool is rigid with the barrel member l0, dimculty. might be experienced in sweeping under low articles of furniture and to take care of this requirement, extension members B and C may be applied. These extension members are alike and but one-need be described. One or both extension members may be applied to the floor tool by simply removing one or both end rollers and applying the corresponding extension, member or members.

cates with the upperhalf 3|! oifthe extension member which is divided from the lower half by a partition 3| having an air-way 32 therein at the end thereof, This air-way permits air to pairs through into the lower half 33, as indicated by the arrows, and thence to the interior or the suction nozzleproper. 4 In manner, dust is blowntrom the endsor the extension into the suction nomle, hence it"is drawn'into the nozzle. itself and passed through the connecting members lt and n to the dust collecting and air filtering mechanism.

A flap valve 34 hinged at 35 is provided for closing the air-way 32. when the hair is down. exhaust air from the portion 2i passes out through an air-way '40 at the top oi the extension. This air-way is closed by the flap valve 36 when the air-way 32 is placed in communication with the air under pressure.

Means are provided for interchangeably applying the flap 34 according as the floor tool is lifted or depressed. When the floor tool is lifted .slightly as by tilting about the roller 23, the flap 34 assumes the position shown in Fig. 9. when the tool is pressed down, the flap assumes the position shown in Fig. 10. As illustrated, a roller 36 is provided at the end of the extension member, this roller being mounted upon a frame or support 31, the tip 38 of which is adapted to engage and actuate the flap 34.

According to the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated, the flap 34 falls by gravity when the floor tool is raised and is shoved to the raised position shown in Fig. 10 when the floor tool is depressed. However, any suitable means may be employed whereby the flap valve is automatically actuated by lifting or depressing the floor tool.

The invention may be varied in detail without departing from the ispirit thereof.

1. A floor tool including a nozzle adapted to be connected to a source of suction, an end pocket carried by said nozzle; and an end extension having a portion detachably fitting within said end pocket, said end extension being adapted to be connected to a source of air pressure for blowing dust laden air into the range of the suction of the floor tool nozzle.

2. A floor tool adapted to be connected to a source of suction; having an end extension adapted to be connected to a source of air pressure for blowing dust laden air into the range of the suction of the floor tool nozzle, and means for automatically applying or cutting oil the air pressure from the extensions as the floor tool is lifted or depressed.

3. As a new article oi manufacture, a casting combining a removable cap adapted to cover the discharge end of a casing housing the dust collecting and suction producing means of a port-- able suction cleaner, with a floor cleaning suction nozzle having an inlet mouth and {an outlet i.'or

dust laden air, said-cap having lateral discharge outlets for air under pressure, connectible with means for blowing air into the range of said nozzle. I

- 4. In a portable suction cleaner, a cylindrical housing having a motor driven fan at one end and air filtering means at the other; a casting combining a cap adapted to cover the discharge end of the housing and having a pair of lateral outlets, with a floor cleaning suction nonle, having an inlet mouth and an outlet for dust ladenair; a detachable 'flexible tube communicating at one end with theairflltering means ofthe.

housing and adapted to be connected at its other end with the discharge outlet 0'! said male. and

e blowing extensions detachably secured at the ends or the nozzle and arranged to blow dirt endwise into the mouth 01' the nozzle, said extensions having .air inlets-commimicating with said lateral fan discharge outlets. v 5. A floor tool comprising an elongated adapted to be connected-to a source ofs'ucfloa sion device being provided with'a spring shank detachably fitting in said end pocket. e

6. In a portable suction cleaner, a cylindrical body portion housing air filtering means at one end and suction producingmeans including a motor driven fan at the other, a detachable cap at the fan discharge end of the'casin'g having a pair of laterally directed discharge outlet openings, an elongated suction nozzle formed integral with the cap and having end openings and an outlet for dust laden air, a suction pipe connecting the nozzle outlet with the air filtering end of the cylindrical housing, and end extensions detachably secured to said nozzle for blowing dust laden air thereinto, each extension having a passage communicating at one end with said nozzle and at the other with one of the-discharge outlets of said cap.

'7. In a device of the character described, a 'conduit having an inlet and an outlet, a power unit rn'ounted'ln the conduit, including a motor and a fan operated thereby, a removable cap at the discharge end of the conduit having a pair of, oppositely directed blower openings, a floor tool having a nozzle connected to the inlet of said conduit, and blower extensions detachably secured to the ends of the nozzle and operatlvely connected to said blower openings, for directing dust laden air into the range of suction of said nozzle.

8. In a suction cleaner, a casting combining. a. floor cleaning suction nozzle, which is adapted to be used with blower extensions, anda cap formed integral with the nozzle and adapted to cover the discharge end of a casing housing the power plant of the portable suction cleaner, said cap having outlets connectible with said blower extensions.

DANIEL BENSON REPLOGLE. 

